Chris & Martina: The Final Set [2026]
Director: Rebecca Gitlitz
Starring: Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Mary Carillo, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe and others.
Running time: 97 minutes
Rating: 4/5
Back in the ’80s, Doordarshan was the only TV channel in India. Where tennis was concerned, they would telecast just the Davis Cup matches (if India was playing), and finals of the 4 Grand Slams. Those were the few occasions when we kids got to watch players like Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, the then champions of women’s tennis.
Over the years, I’ve watched videos on YouTube of their old matches, rivalry, interviews etc. When this Netflix documentary dropped, and with a title like that, it brought a lump in the throat.
A rivalry for the ages
Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova share one of the biggest personal sporting rivalries ever. Their backgrounds, playing styles and demeanour were poles apart too.
Chris was the teenaged sweet All-American girl next door. She was dating Jimmy Connors and other stars, winning Grand Slams, and No.1 in the world. She was a media darling, and loved by tennis fans.
Martina was from then-Czechoslovakia, not very fit, trying to make her mark, and had to fight for acceptance. She defected to the U.S in 1975, aged 18. It was tough leaving family behind, with no relatives or friends in the U.S, and perpetually dreading kidnap attempts. It became worse in later years due to the media obsession with her physique, relationships, whether she was straight or gay, and so on.
Chris was the right-handed “Ice Maiden”, drilling shots with pinpoint accuracy from the baseline, showing no emotion on court. Martina was the left-handed “communist girl who lived in Beverly Hills”. All fire and brimstone with an aggressive game, serving and volleying her way to record wins, but letting her emotions flow on court and often losing focus (and matches).
In all, they played each other 80 times. While Chris dominated the initial years, it was Martina who eventually nudged ahead 43-37. Of these, a staggering 60 matches were finals. By the time they hung up their rackets, both had won 18 Grand Slam titles each.
A healthy dose of wit and reality
The chemistry and banter between Chris and Martina is the highlight here, as they navigate timelines between the past and the present. Their families, friends, contemporaries, and sports journalists pitch in with perspectives. There’s also Sally Jenkins from The Washington Post. She interviewed and wrote an article about them in 2023, which inspired this documentary.
While the tennis history is mostly known, some of the off-court stories were fascinating. Their single-minded pursuit of excellence (being No.1) meant missing out on a regular life. While their roads to the top were different, the emotional upheaval, pressure, media glare, feeling of isolation and depression, were common chords.
Baseline to bedside chats
In a cruel twist, both women were diagnosed with cancer. Martina was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, and then with throat and breast cancer (again) in 2023. Chris was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2022. It struck again a couple of years later. Last month, she revealed that it had returned for the third time.
Watching these once-fierce rivals support each other through their cancer battles is a masterclass in grace. One of the biggest surprises for me was the level of access both of them gave to the crew. They allowed the camera unit to film them in extremely vulnerable and private moments during medical tests/scans, or even showing side-effects of chemotherapy like nausea, hair loss and so on.
Worth checking out?
Yes, regardless of whether you watched them during their playing days or not.
The documentary is both celebratory and gritty in parts. Instead of being just a career highlights package of two legends, there are some hard and honest conversations too along with quieter moments, without getting mushy.
The pacing does feel a tad uneven at some points, but that’s a minor point. Even as it looks at aging, burnout, survival, the central focus here remains their friendship; warm, funny, reflective.
A bond that has endured for over 50 years.
